Simon Fraser Suspending Football

[SW_Mustang]

Not sure how accurate this is -

Sources: Simon Fraser University to suspend football - Footballscoop

[Inkblot]

It's official now. https://athletics.sfu.ca/news/2023/4...l-program.aspx

Sad, but not surprising.

[DB91980]

If they've played under the NAIA umbrella, why not go back? Some money is better than no money coming back to the school to help pay for a new stadium.

[SW_Mustang]

It's official now. https://athletics.sfu.ca/news/2023/4...l-program.aspx

Sad, but not surprising.

Yeah. How many former GNAC teams does that leave? 2-3? Football has been slammed hard on the west coast.

I read somewhere that it was expected to be temporary, but that statement makes it seem permanent.

[AlexTheHAMMER]

Disappointing, thought they might go NAIA or switch to U SPORTS (Canada's NCAA) after being kicked out of the Lone Star. Non-D1 college football west of the rockies has fallen quite a bit unfortunately. California 4 year schools dropping it, followed by the Arizona JUCO mass drop didn't help.

Apparently this is a big loss in the canadian football community...my CFL circles blew up yesterday afternoon after news broke.

https://3downnation.com/2023/04/04/i...tball-program/

[SW_Mustang]

Disappointing, thought they might go NAIA or switch to U SPORTS (Canada's NCAA) after being kicked out of the Lone Star. Non-D1 college football west of the rockies has fallen quite a bit unfortunately. California 4 year schools dropping it, followed by the Arizona JUCO mass drop didn't help.

Apparently this is a big loss in the canadian football community...my CFL circles blew up yesterday afternoon after news broke.

https://3downnation.com/2023/04/04/i...tball-program/

I imagine it will get worse before it gets better, unfortunately - if it ever gets better at all.

If you draw a line at the western most North Dakota border and trace SD, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexcio - the only two D2 programs west of that line are WOU and CWU. Makes me wonder what their future is.

[cwfenn]

Article with some comments about why SFU did what it did:

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6801345

Honestly, it brings up more questions. “Don’t meet the membership by-laws of other athletic associations”? Not sure it would have required moving mountains to go NAIA or U Sports.

Would like to know if the RMAC turned them down, of if they even asked.

[KleShreen]

I think it is pretty obvious, given the vast options available to alternatives, that SFU was most likely just looking for a reason to rid themselves of football. They had been performing poorly for a long time, and were probably happy to have the LSC "kick" them out to give them an excuse. It seems pretty obvious that they could have explored the RMAC, they could have explored D3, they could have explored NAIA, they could have explored USports.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Not sure how accurate this is -

Sources: Simon Fraser University to suspend football - Footballscoop

Not quite accurate. Not suspending, ENDING.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Clearly staying in NCAA in other sports was their priority over moving to the Canadian league or NAIA. I am guessing they also explored playing football as an independent (like Lincoln) against various D2, D3, and NAIA teams each season. But that maybe wasn't feasible logistically especially being across the border.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Sign the petition to keep SFU football! https://forms.office.com/pages/respo...JGM1FDUjM3WS4u

[Dan Brookens]

Anyone know what their schedule this year was supposed to be?

[cwfenn]

Anyone know what their schedule this year was supposed to be?

Think they were playing D3 Linfield followed by the LSC.

[SW_Mustang]

Clearly staying in NCAA in other sports was their priority over moving to the Canadian league or NAIA. I am guessing they also explored playing football as an independent (like Lincoln) against various D2, D3, and NAIA teams each season. But that maybe wasn't feasible logistically especially being across the border.

Lincoln has the benefit of not having facilities to maintain, and not being a "real" school.

[Predatory Primates]

I imagine it will get worse before it gets better, unfortunately - if it ever gets better at all.

If you draw a line at the western most North Dakota border and trace SD, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexcio - the only two D2 programs west of that line are WOU and CWU. Makes me wonder what their future is.

I would hate to see d2 lose CWU. They have put out some pretty good teams.

That said, I wouldn't blame them if they moved up or down. I mean they already have to. Fund a D1 travel budget.